- Several alleged retail employees report that Target and Walmart stores are removing Xbox consoles and games from shelves, replacing them with PlayStation and Nintendo products [1] [2].
- At one Target, an employee said “all the games have been discontinued and will most likely go clearance,” noting it’s “weird to see only PlayStation and Nintendo games being sold” [3]. A Walmart staffer similarly reported their store’s electronics remodel would include “no Xbox games” [4], with Switch and PlayStation titles condensed into smaller displays.
- Other major retailers are also cutting back Xbox inventory: Costco confirmed it has “no plans…to carry an Xbox console. It was a business decision” [5]. Reports suggest Sam’s Club and EB Games (Australia/New Zealand) have likewise cleared Xbox stock [6] [7].
- These changes come as Microsoft has been raising prices. In October 2025 the Xbox Series X rose to about $650 [8] [9], and Game Pass Ultimate jumped 50% to $29.99/month [10] [11]. Analysts note the new Ultimate tier now costs $360/year – over twice the $160/year PlayStation subscription [12].
- Microsoft insists it still supports physical games. The company has stated there’s “no minimum order quantity for physical media” and Xbox chief Phil Spencer said in 2024 the firm remains “supportive of physical media” and that removing discs isn’t a “strategic thing” [13] [14]. However, retailers report that physical Xbox sales have plunged, and the shrinking shelf space may simply reflect that decline [15].
- The rumors have rattled fans. Former Xbox exec Mike Ybarra bluntly told a critic, “your console is dead,” reflecting industry skepticism [16]. Gamers have even trended “Cancel Xbox Game Pass” online after the price hikes [17] [18].
Reports from Store Employees
In mid-October 2025 multiple anonymous posts on Reddit claimed that Target and Walmart are quietly pulling Xbox products from their stores. One alleged Target employee wrote: “The Target I work for is no longer selling Xbox games. All the games have been discontinued and will most likely go clearance.” [19]. Similarly, a Walmart employee reported that during an electronics department remodel “the new layout…will have no Xbox games” [20], with Switch and PlayStation titles squeezed into smaller cases. In Kansas City one shopper snapped a photo of a Target shelving unit being dismantled and quoted a manager saying the store is “getting rid of its entire Xbox section,” and that “all Targets in the Kansas City area are purging their Xbox stock” [21] [22].
None of these claims has been officially confirmed. Both Target and Walmart declined to comment. But the consistency is striking: employees at several stores independently describe completely empty Xbox aisles and clearance sales on remaining titles. By contrast, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch hardware and games remain fully stocked, suggesting a deliberate shift in shelf space [23] [24]. (For example, one Kansas City Target’s website was found to list only a single Series S console and a handful of controllers, whereas PS5 and Switch products were plentiful [25].)
Other Retailers Scaling Back Xbox Stock
Target and Walmart wouldn’t be the first major chains to cut Xbox inventory. In late September 2025 Costco quietly stopped selling Xbox consoles entirely. A Costco spokesperson told content creator Destin Legarie: “We don’t have any plans going forward to carry an Xbox console. It was a business decision.” [26]. Similarly, EB Games (Australia/New Zealand) removed Xbox branding from its stores and website, reportedly pulling Xbox hardware off shelves [27]. In the U.S., there are also reports that Sam’s Club has begun clearance sales of Xbox Series X/S bundles and is no longer ordering new stock [28].
As Notebookcheck.net reported, Walmart and Target staff have even been observed adding Nintendo Switch games into previously-Xbox display cases [29] – a strong hint that Xbox shelves are being repurposed. All of this has raised eyebrows among gamers and analysts: one commentary notes that “Xbox consoles and games are becoming rare finds at major retailers” [30], and European store updates suggest a “deliberate shift in focus” away from Xbox. While PlayStation and Nintendo continue to enjoy high demand, many Xbox titles are now marked for clearance or simply missing from store layouts [31] [32].
Microsoft’s Response and Strategy
Microsoft has not announced any decision to stop selling discs or consoles. In fact, company spokespeople have emphasized that physical Xbox games are not being phased out by fiat. Earlier this year Microsoft stated there is “no minimum order quantity for physical media” and that publishers can still release games on disc [33]. Xbox head Phil Spencer has repeatedly affirmed that the console line still supports physical formats: “We are supportive of physical media,” he said, noting that Xbox simply follows customer demand. “We ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing… right now, a majority of our customers are buying games digitally.” [34].
Spencer has stressed that dropping discs is not some corporate mandate: “Eliminating physical media is not a strategic thing,” he told GameFile News [35]. Indeed, Microsoft has been loudly pushing other Xbox-related initiatives (cloud gaming, PC streaming, and Game Pass) even as it modestly refreshes its console line. At the recent Tokyo Game Show, for example, Microsoft even co-branded the ASUS ROG Ally handheld as an Xbox partner device – a sign it sees the Xbox “ecosystem” extending beyond its own consoles [36]. In short, Microsoft’s official line is that it remains committed to Xbox hardware, and the only explanation given so far for any stock changes is one of normal retail decisions and remodeling.
Xbox Hardware Context: Price Hikes and Sales Trends
The timing of the retail pullback coincides with a series of price increases and declining sales in the Xbox business. In early September and October 2025, Microsoft raised U.S. prices on the Xbox Series X to $649.99 (a $150 jump from launch) and Series S to $399.99 [37] [38], citing higher costs. These hikes made headlines and frustrated many gamers. Former Xbox executive Mike Ybarra – himself a Microsoft alumnus – blasted the move on social media: the two-terabyte Series X is now $799.99, up from $599.99 earlier in the year, and Ybarra quipped, “Console price increases are not tariff issues, they are profit issues.” [39]. Some analysts noted that while one hike was blamed on tariffs, the second seemed purely a strategy to squeeze higher margins out of customers.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has also overhauled Game Pass. In October 2025 the company split Game Pass into three tiers (Essential, Premium, and Ultimate) and roughly doubled the Ultimate price from $19.99 to $29.99/month [40]. This made Game Pass Ultimate cost about $360 per year – over twice the annual cost of Sony’s PlayStation Plus Premium ($160/year) [41]. Tech analysts immediately questioned this: “Xbox’s value proposition is fading” was a common refrain, given the once-shockingly low Game Pass price is now well above competitors [42].
Consumer and Industry Reaction
The retailer rumors spread just as gamers were already upset. Word of the price hikes sparked a backlash: the phrase “Cancel Xbox Game Pass” trended on social media worldwide when the new pricing hit, as players vented at the sudden 50% jump [43]. A survey by market researcher Circana found that 58% of US players who cancelled Game Pass last quarter did so because of cost [44]. Even GameStop got in on the fray, briefly advertising that it would still sell Game Pass Ultimate at the old $19.99 price – a move seen as a rebuke to Microsoft.
In industry circles, some see the retail pullback as part of a broader Xbox slowdown. According to one analysis, Xbox hardware sales have been far behind PlayStation – for example, Sony reported $136 billion in PS5 sales in under five years (surpassing PS4’s record) [45], while Xbox Series X/S is thought to be trailing badly. One former PlayStation executive even quipped that Xbox’s games business would only work “if you do it right,” and when fans mocked him he snapped back on Twitter, “your console is dead.” [46] Whether hyperbole or not, such comments capture a growing sentiment that Xbox’s market share is dwindling.
Not everyone believes this is the end of Xbox hardware, however. Some retail analysts caution that stores routinely reconfigure shelves and that physical game sales are down across the board. In fact, The Game Post notes that shrinking shelf space may simply reflect plummeting demand for discs rather than a corporate pullout [47]. Microsoft itself has pledged that it’s “actively investing in our future first-party consoles and devices” [48]. For now, the company has declined to comment on the specific retailer rumors. But industry watchers will be watching closely: if more big-box stores start clearing Xbox inventory, it could signal a tipping point for the console business.
Sources: Insider reports and news analyses of October 2025 (The Gamer, TwistedVoxel, ComicBook, GamingAmigos, The Game Post, Notebookcheck, TechStock², etc.) [49] [50] [51] [52], combined with expert statements from Microsoft executives and industry commentators [53] [54].
References
1. twistedvoxel.com, 2. www.gamingamigos.com, 3. twistedvoxel.com, 4. twistedvoxel.com, 5. twistedvoxel.com, 6. www.gamingamigos.com, 7. twistedvoxel.com, 8. twistedvoxel.com, 9. ts2.tech, 10. ts2.tech, 11. thegamepost.com, 12. ts2.tech, 13. thegamepost.com, 14. www.gamefile.news, 15. thegamepost.com, 16. www.gamingamigos.com, 17. thegamepost.com, 18. ts2.tech, 19. twistedvoxel.com, 20. twistedvoxel.com, 21. thegamepost.com, 22. www.notebookcheck.net, 23. twistedvoxel.com, 24. www.gamingamigos.com, 25. www.gamingamigos.com, 26. twistedvoxel.com, 27. twistedvoxel.com, 28. www.gamingamigos.com, 29. www.notebookcheck.net, 30. www.notebookcheck.net, 31. twistedvoxel.com, 32. twistedvoxel.com, 33. thegamepost.com, 34. www.gamefile.news, 35. www.gamefile.news, 36. twistedvoxel.com, 37. twistedvoxel.com, 38. ts2.tech, 39. www.gamingamigos.com, 40. ts2.tech, 41. ts2.tech, 42. ts2.tech, 43. thegamepost.com, 44. ts2.tech, 45. www.gamingamigos.com, 46. www.gamingamigos.com, 47. thegamepost.com, 48. thegamepost.com, 49. twistedvoxel.com, 50. thegamepost.com, 51. ts2.tech, 52. thegamepost.com, 53. www.gamefile.news, 54. www.gamingamigos.com
